If we decide to join Jesus in storming the gates of hell, we will find something surprising when we get there. We will find a ragtag band of prostitutes, alcoholics, drug-addicts, murderers, and thieves, dancing and singing and laughing with Jesus.
It is a strange sight there at the gates of hell, but it is the way of Jesus.
Joy and laughter in the face of darkness and despair is one of the best ways to turn back the night and light a candle in the dark.
Jesus dances with harlots, shares meals with tax-collectors, laughs at the jokes of murderers, and drinks with alcoholics.
Meanwhile, we look on with disapproval. We get offended. Doesn’t Jesus know what they’ve done? Doesn’t He know He is just encouraging them? Doesn’t He know how it looks to hang out with such people?
Yes, Jesus does know.
He knows exactly what it look like. It looks like the Kingdom of heaven. It looks like forgiveness. It looks like mercy. It looks like grace. Wherever Jesus goes, there is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (cf. Gal 5:22-23), and these are found with Jesus even when He is dancing with whores and killers at the gates of hell.
When we get upset at such disturbing divine behavior, we need only remind ourselves who it was that criticized Jesus for His choice of company. It was the self-righteous religious people who condemned Jesus for hanging out with tax-collectors, sinners, and prostitutes.
If we feel uncomfortable hanging out with such people, might it be that we are more like the Pharisees than we imagine?
What kind of holiness does the Western Church manifest today? To answer this, we need only ask: Are the prostitutes and tax collectors of our day attracted to us or repelled by us?
While there are wonderful examples of kingdom communities who attract, embrace, and transform those who are most judged and marginalized by society and religion today, on the whole today’s prostitutes and tax collectors steer as far away from Christians as they did the Pharisees in the first century.
Nothing could be a greater indictment of the modern Church than this (The Myth of a Christian Religion
).
(See the video here by Tony Campolo about his birthday bash with Hawaiian Prostitutes.)
Love this Jeremy, the hypocritical position we all are inclined to have, is blown away with the amazing love of Christ.
I really enjoined Tony Campolo’s message that was tagged at the end of your blog.
It’s a good thing that Jesus has mercy on us all. He does not see us as we see others, it will not be our judgement that determines who gets to be with the Father and the Son.
We still appear to believe that it’s what we do and not what He has done that matters, and that our belief in Him is paramount in determining our destiny. The only surprise we should have when we get to Heaven is that we are there.
Clive
My comment was too long, so I posted it at GraceGround at
http://www.graceground.com/california/looking-for-jesus/dancing-with-jesus/
I confess to unabashed plagiarism or your idea, but it is a true story of where we found Easter – in the streets with those Jesus loves.
Jeremy:
I have been discipling a young man for a number of years and he could have written this post and the ones before it. He shares your zeal and desires to “right the ship” as it were. However, his institutional church does NOT share his passion and does not understand his desire to take the Gospel to Hell. He has butted heads so many times and now he has been removed as a SS teacher.
There are projects near the church, largely black folk and unfortunately a lot of crime, unemployed and well it must be really “bad” because my “Timothy” has to go alone. No one in his church will accompany him except his 12 year old daughter. They witness all day and they even bring a grill sometimes and feed people in the parking lot of one of the housing projects.
I have been discipling him now for a number of years and I second guess myself on ocassion, especially since he takes enormous risks. He has a family. He has a respectable job. A position in the church. He risks it all for the Gospel.
In my moment of weakness, of second guessing myself I will re-read this post and the others.
Thank you Jeremy.
Mike